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3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. G. WATERHOUSE.

ELEGTRIG LAMP, No. 255,223. Patented Mar. 21.1882.

Fiqll (N'o Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. G. WATERHOUSE.

.ELECTRIC LAMP. z

No. 266,223. Patented Mar. 21,1882.

N. PETERS. Hwwumngmplmr, wazhmglm D. (I.

(No Model.) 8 sheets-'sneet 8. A. G. WATE'RHOUSE.

ELECTRIC LAMP. No. 255,223. I Patented Mar. 21,1882.

ATTEST'I INVENTHI UNrTi-:n STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

ADDISON G. TATERHOUS OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATE'S ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION formng' part of Letters Patent No. 255,223, dated March 21, 1882.

Application tiled December 3, 1881. (No model.)

To all tchem 'it may concera Be it known that I, ADDIsON G. WATER- HOUSE, residing in New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Larnps, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part ot' the same.

My invention is directed to the improvement of electric lamps in which a gravitating carbon. with its holder, is controlled and adjusted by means of one or more electro-magnets or their equivalents through the instrumentality of a clamp 01' clntch.

The main object of the inventiou is to prevent the carbon from dropping suddenly when released by the feeding-clutch, and to cause it to descend gradually until the requisite feed movement has been attained, by this means zo producing a steady and nniform light. For

attaining these objects I employ, in conjunction with the'carbon-earrier or holding-red, two independent clamps or clutches. These are arranged to alternately gripe and liberate 'the said rod, so thatit is at all times supported by one or the other and pcrmitted to move only as fast as the retarding meehanism connected with one or both of the clutches may determine.

In the accompanying drawings my inventioni is illustrated, in a practical form, as applied to an electric lamp of peculiar construction. I would here state, however, that the present application concerns no special kind of lamp nor magnes, that illustrated being simply selected for sake ot' illustration, and not specifically claimed herein, as I pnrpose making separate application therefor.

Fignre l is a side elevation ofa carbon-controlling mechanism embodying my present invention; Fig. 2, a similar View, partly in section, of a portion ofa lamp containing a slightly-moditicd arrangement of clamps; Figs. 3 and 4, details of the clamp or clutch mechanisms; Fig. 5, an outlineillustration of another and equivalent form of the clamp.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A A represent the supports of the case or frame containing the feed mechanism.

B is one ot' a pair of helices fixed to the upper part of the frame. O O are the cores, composed of soft iron or soft-iron wire wound in a solid coil. When thus constructed the iron wire of the coils is included in a shunt-circuit about the lamp. A metal bar, D, connects the two cores U O, and the whole is snstained by a spiral spring, S, capable of adjnstxnent by means of a screw, s.

Below the bar D is set a dash-pot, H', containiug a liquid-snch as glycerine or oiland havinga piston composed of a perforated plate, 1/, over which is laid a tliin plate, t'. The piston is connected by a suitable rod with a hook or bar, D. When thus arranged the piston l' is readily forced down, the liquid flowing through the perforations; but when lifted the plate 'i' closes the perforations, so that it can only rise slowly.

F is a standard rising from the base AI of the frame at a position at right angles to the center of bar D. Pivoted thereto is a bifurcated arm, g, the free end of which is hinged or otherwise connected to the bar D. Between the bra-nc'nes ofarm g passes the carbon-carrier K.

G is a clamp or perforated plate surrounding` the carbon-carrier, resting on the base A' at on-e end and connected to the arm g by means of a link, (j', at the other. As the bar D is raised by the attraction of the helices for the cores O the arm g is carried np and the clamp G tilted, thus causing it to gripe the carrier K, the dash-pot H' acting to prevent too rapid upward movement. In this respect the action of the parts diifers in no wise from certain other forms of lamp now in use. Then the diminishing attraction of the helices B allows the cores and bar D to descend sufticiently for feeding, the clamp G is brought to a horizontal position and liberates the carrier K, which drops by its own weight often beyond the point at which the requisite amount of feed is attained. This is due mainly to the fact that an appreeiable time is required for the feed-magnets to overcome the inertia ot' the moving parts and draw them up to the point necessary for arresting the descent of the carbons, or that the downward movement of the carrier is so rapid as not to allow the roc magnets time to recover their power. This I overcome by the following' means:

To the standard F is either pivoted or tixed an upright, f, to the upper end of which is piv oted a bar, e, connected at one end to the piston-rod l of a dash-pot, H, similar in every respeet to the dash-pot II', and carrying at the other end a swinging pert'orated plate orclamp,`

E'. The clamp E has a tail-piece resting,` on the bar, by which it is raised or lowered, as the case may be. Ihen the bar D is raised the clamp G is caused to bind and raise the carrier-rod K. The clamp E at the same time is raised without aft'ecting the rod K, while the plui'ig'er or piston I sinks by its own weight in the dash-pot ll. The lever-arm e thus tilts or moves upward, following the bar D. 7hen the latter begins to descend the clamp E is brought into engagement with the rod K, and when the rod is finally released by the clamp E' its whole weightis transferred to the clamp E, and as this latter is retarded in its descent by the resistance to upward movement of the plung'er I, the movement of the carrier will be slow and even, allowing` the magnets to regain their power before the carbon has fed too far. In practice the mechanism is so arrang'ed that the ascending' bar D meets the descending clamp E just before it has reaehed the desired limit of downward movement, so that the carrier will be securely held by the clamp G before the said clamp E liberates it.

In Fig'. 2 a modification of the same principle is illustrated. Here the magnets, the cores, cross-bar, and (lash-pot H' remain the same. The arm g is pivoted by preference to the dashpot H, thus dispensiug' with the standard. From the arm (1 the link g' depends and conneets with the clamp G. The clamp E in this case engag'es, as before, with the bar D. Its opposite end, however, is connected directly with the piston-rod of a dash-pot,in which the piston I is pert'orated, and has under itafioat, L, so that the resistance is greater to the downward movement than to the upward. A spiral spring, on, connected to any convenient portion of the lampframe, acts to draw up the piston or plung'er. As the bar D ascends the clamp E rises with it without aft'ecting' the rod K, while the clamp G, on the other hand, is caused to raise it. O11 the descent ot' the bar D the clamp E drops and engages the rod K, which can deseend only so fast as the piston or plung'er is forced downward through the liquid in the dash-pot H. Other modifications of this are possible, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the dash-pot His supplanted by any suitable retarding mechanism. That shown consists of a drum, F', provided with a ratchet and spring-pawl, which allows it to turn freely in one direction, a wheel, k, gearing' with a vertical spindle having` a worm, F, and a fan or bralie. A cord, a, by which is suspended a weight, w, is connected to the clamp E, and passes by one or two turns over the said drum. By this arrangement the clamp E is drawn up freely by the weight w, which turns the drum or pulley F', but is retarded in its descent and when in engagement with the rod K by means of the gearing described. In this figure is also shown an improved form of clamp which Idesign using' in connection with the meehanism above described. It consists of two plates of resilient metal united in any properinanner at one end, and constructed with a tendency to spreadapart. Theseplates (designated respectively)l and 11') are perforated in the usual manner to surround the rod K. At its free end plate 1) is connected by link g' with the arm g, while plate p' rests upon base Al. I'Vhen the bar D is lowered the two plates are brought, together by the weight ot' the bar, the cores, and their appurtenances; but when the latter are raised the plates spread and both gripe the rod.

It will be seen from the above that thespeeitic Character of the mechanism employed may be greatly varied without departing` from the spirit of my invention.

Without, thercfore, contining myself to the details shown, what I claim as new and of my invention is- 1. In an electric lamp, the combination of a ca1'bon-carrier,an electro magnetor magnets,a feed-controlling` clam p connected therewith, andasupplementaryclamp,inconj unctionwith suitable retarding mechanism, arranged to engage with the carrier when the same is released by the magnets, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with a carbon-carrier, an electro magnet or magnets, and a feed-controlling` clamp connected therewith, of a supplementary clamp pivoted or suspended above the first, and a retarding device for limiting` its movement in one direction, substantially as set t'orth.

3. The combination,with a carbon-carrier, an electro magnet or magnets, and movable armatnre therefor, of a clamp adapted to engagc with and raise the said carrier, and a pivoted or suspended clamp, in conjunction with suitable retarding mechanism, and adapted to engage with the carrier and impede its descent, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a. carbon-carrier,of a clamp or clutch composed of two perforated plates of resilient metal connected together at one edge, substantially as shown.

ADDISON G. WATERIIOUSE.

\Vitnesses:

W. FRIsBY, R. F. BARNEs.

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